Artificial-block structure.



E. 1". VIANI. ARTIFICIAL BLOCK STRUCTURE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 16, 1910.

996,437, Patented Ju11 27,1911

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HEB @TATEd PATENT @FFTQE. ELIA F. VIANI, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIG QOIt OF ONE-HALF TO JACOB H. WUCHER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

To all whom it may concern: a 7

Be it known that I, ELIA F. VIANI, a citi- Zen of the United States, and resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illi nois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial-Block Structures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hollow building walls and particularly to that type of wall constructed of artificial building blocks which are adapted to be cast from cement or like material.

One of the objects of this invention is to construct a wall which will be strong and in which the blocks will be light so as to require a minimum of material with the maximumstrength and rigidity.

Another object is to construct a wall which will be damp-proof.

Another object is to construct a building block that can be easily cast without the use of cores and which can be easily, thoroughly and quickly dried.

Another object is to construct the building blocks so that when they are placed in position in a wall each block will interlock with a large number of the other blocks so as to result in a rigid and strong'structure.

Antither object is to construct a filling-in block which will be light and strong and which can be easily shaped so as to fill in any desired space in the wall.

Further objects will appear from the fol lowing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in whichp Figure 1 is an elevation showing two courses of the blocks in position; Fig. 2 is a plan View of the construction shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows the upper course of blocks; Fig. 4 shows the lower course of blocks; Fig. 5 is a section through the block showing the method of reinforcing; Fig. 6

is a view of a novel form of filling-in block j and Fig. 7 shows the application of the fill-- ing-in block.

The building block comprises a pair of oppositely directed face'members a, b, connected by a web a. This web is arranged at an oblique angle to both of the members a, b, and connects adjacent ends of these members. Shoulders cl, 6, are formed on the block at the ends of the members a, b and adjacent the web so as to form abut-- mentsfor the ends of the blocks. The dis- Specification of t eters Patent. 7 Application filed August 16, 1910.

Patented June 27, 1911 Serial No. 577,499.

tance between the shoulders cl, 6, is substantially equal to half of the length of one of the members a, b, for a purpose hereinafter to be described. In order to strengthen the block the corners may be filled in by fillets The block is preferably formed of cement or other like material mold and in order to additionally strengthen this block it may be reinforced by metal rods or wires 9, as shown in Fig. 5.

The blocks are laid in the manner shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, with the blocks of one course crossing the blocks of another course, and breaking joints, as shown in Fig. 1. It will be seen that each one of the blocks spans and locks five of the blocks in the course above or below. Thus the block A, Figs. 1 and 2, spans and locks blocks 1, 2, 3, 4. and 5. The blocks can be laid with cement so as to make firm joints and the cement can also be applied to the places where the webs cross. In view of the fact that the length of the web, or the distance between the shoulders' (Z, c, is substantially equal to one-half the length-of one of the face members a, 6, these blocks can be laid so that they will break joints on both sides of the wall, resulting in an exceedingly strong and neat construction. each block in the wall interlocks with a large number of the other blocks, these blocks can be made very thin so that the blocks can be dried thoroughly and quickly and resulting also in a cheaper and lighter construction with the maximum strength. The construction of the block is such that it can be easily cast without the necessity of cores since both sides of the block are entirely open, which construction also permits them to be easily and quickly dried since the sun can get at every part of the surface. The construction of the blocks also permits them to be packed in a very small space so that the cost of shipment will be small.

. The inside faces of the face members a, o, and both sides of the web are coated with a damp-proof material, as coal tar or the like. It will be seen that the joints in opposite sides of the wall of the same course are out of alinement so that the damp air, if any, must take a zig-zag or diagonal course, thereby rendering the wall exceedingly damp-proof.

Fig. 6 shows a filling-in block which is of In view of the fact that" preferably by being castin a dinal members It connected by webs 2'. This block can be shaped or broken as desired so 1 as to fill in desired spaces.

Fig. 7 shows an application of this block for filling in a corner of a wall constructed of the blocks shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive.

It is obvious that this block may be cast of various stone materials now used in building construction and it is also obvious that various changes may be made in thedetails 'of-construction without departing from this invention, and it is therefore to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to the specificconstructions shown and described. "Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

A simple trussed hollow wall composed of artificial blocks, each of said blocks having two spacedand oppositely extending face members of equal length connected at their adjacent ends b a web said web being of a length. substantially equal tothe length of the facemembers and arranged at an oblique angle to the face members, said blocks being laid in courses with the webs of one course crossing at right angles and bearing on the intermediate portions of the webs of an adjacent course.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

, ELIA F. VIANI. Witnesses:

HARMAN H. OLIVETH, JOHN SHnR'rsLI. 

